Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 22, 1938.

Filed Sept. 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. S m Marin IV. Sewn/4461? 77/51: ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 22, 1938. s. M. SCHWELLER ET AL 2,109,052

' Filed Sept. 28, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS.

5:44 v5: 255 Ml fiemvgm 5;:

1,. I M Si/( TW'ME ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS ware Application September 28 1935, Serial No. 42,654

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of refrigerator cabinets and more particularly to the construction and method of making food supporting interior thereof.

It is an object of our invention to provide an improved type of shelf for supporting articles to be cooled in position in refrigerator cabinets and to provide a novel method of making same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shelf which will have a neat and finished appearance as viewed from the front of a refrigerator .cabinet when the food compartment access door thereof is open.

With the foregoing objects in view it is to be understood that the shelf must be constructed so as not to interfere with the circulation of air within the refrigerator, to provide a flat or plane surface to objects placed thereupon and to be constructed so as to support small containers and the like without upsetting same thereupon.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of a refrigerator cabinet having shelves constructed according to the present invention mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of our improvedshelf; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-.-3 of Fig. 2 and showing in detail the arrangement of cross wires relative to the rim member of the shelf;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-6 of Fig. 1 and shows the mounting of the shelf in the refrigerator cabinet;

Fig. 7 is 'a top plan view of a die or the like member employed for receiving and holding the rim portion of a shelf during the act of perform ing a certain operation thereon;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in section of an apparatus for punching the rim portion of the shelf;

ig. 9 is a view similar to 8 showing the apparatus aposition after having completed the punching operation;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the punching apparatustake n on the line l0|0 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view shelves employed in the of the rim portion of a shelf after having been punched according to the invention;

Fig. 12 is aview illustrating a method of welding cross wires to the rim portion of a shelf; and

Fig. 13 is a view illustrating a method of deforming the ends of cross wires of a shelf into substantially the same horizontal plane with the apex of the round rim portion.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof there is shown a refrigerator cabinet generally represented by the reference character l5. Cabinet l5 comprises a food storage chamber l6 formed by a metal liner having insulation surrounding same. A plurality of metal panels or a metal shell I1 is placed over the insulating material which surrounds the food storage chamber I6 and this shell forms the exterior finished walls of the cabinet and provides a support for the chamber and insulation. The storage chamber IB is divided into aplurality of superimposed compartments by a plurality of shelyes generally represented by the reference character l8. Shelves l8 may be supported within the chamber H5 in any suitable and-well-known manner and are herein disclosed as being mounted upon pegs l9 (see Fig. 6) secured to and extending inwardly from opposed side walls of chamber Hi. It will be noted that the shelf sup porting pegs l9 located at the rear of chamber l6 are disposed on a somewhat lower horizonta plane than the pegs at the front of chamber l6 for apurpose to be hereinafter described. A door forms a closure member for the opening which affords access to chamber l6.

Each shelf I8 comprises a heavy wire rim member 2| which is round in eross section and formed into a general rectangular frame design as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The rim member 2| of shelf I8 is in the present disclosure approximately five-sixteenth inchin diameter and is formed from a straight piece of wire bent into the shape disclosed and has its ends welded or otherwise firmly secured together. A plurality of horizontally spacedapart cross wires 22 of approximately one-eighth inch diameter extend from the front to the back of shelf l8 parallel to a one another and are secured to the rim member 2|. It will be noted (see Figs. 3 and 4) that all portions of the rim member 2| of shelf )8 lie in i the same horizontal plane and that the' ends of wires-22 at the rear of the shelf lie upon the top of rim member 2| and are secured thereto in any suitable manner such as by spot-welding the same thereto. The opposite ends of cross wires 22 disposed at the front of shelf l8- flt into slots fore been conventional.

24 provided in the materlai of rim 2| in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described. The front ends of wires 22 are welded or otherwise secured within the slots 24 and the tops thereof are substantially fiush with or have the apex at the top thereof disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane with the apex at the top of the round rim 2|. It will be seen therefore thatthe shelf II as viewed from the front of cabinet l5, when door 20 is open, has a smooth rounded uniform finished appearance throughout its width. In other words, the front edge of the improved shelf l8 is devoid of spaced apart upwardly extending cross wires similar to the showing in Fig. 5 of the drawings which has hereto- It is to be understood that the construction employed along the front edge of the shelf may also be incorporated along the rear edge of shelf l8, if desired. The construction "disclosed obviously renders the shelf vthicker at its rear portion than at the front thereof and the arrangement of the pegs l9 at the rear. of chamber It, as shown in .Fig. 6 of the drawings, on a lower elevation than pegs I9 at the front of the chamber permits the top :food supporting surface of shelf 8 to be in a horizontal plane parallel with other horizontally arranged portions of the refrigerator cabinet.

Having described and illustrated the'construction of the improved shelf l8 of the present invention one method ofmaking same will now be described by referring to the showing in Figs.

7' to 13 inclusive of the drawings. In Fig. '7

' there is disclosed a die or the-like member 30 of rectangular form having a substantially semicylindrical groove 3| provided in its top surface adapted to receiyethe wire rim member 2| for performing the operation of punching the spaced apart slots 24 therein. A portion of die 30 along one longitudinal edge of groove 3| is cut away as illustrated at 32 so that the edge of groove 3| along the inner portion of rim 2| is disposed on a lower elevation than the opposite edge of groove 3 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. The die 30; with rim 2| positioned in the groove 3|; is placedunder a punch-press or the like apparatus as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

The punch-press apparatus may be of a conventional and well-known type and includes a reciprocating m'etal block 35 which carries a plurality of hardened metal punch members 35 stationarily secured thereto by bolts or any other suitable mearm 3,6. A metal pressure plate 31 is movably carried by the block 34 and is provided with a plurality of openings 33 through which the punch members 35 are adapted to extend.

A resilient member 39 constructed of rubber or any other suitable compressible material is carried by block 34 and'is disposed between this block and the pressure plate3l. Springs may, if desired, be substituted for the rubber compressible member 39 in the apparatus disclosed. A plurality of rods 40, each having an enlarged head portion 42 whichis received in a counter-bore 43 provided in pressure plate 31, are secured in any suitable manner to the reciprocating block .34 for suspendingly carrying the members 31 boundaries of rim 2|, and further downward movement of block 34 causes plate 31' to apply pressure to the rim 2|. to hold same firmly in place in groove 3| and to prevent rotation thereof when the punch members 35 begin to cut into or apply pressure on the one longitudinal side. of rim 2|. The rubber block or blocks 39.will, of course, be compressed between plate 31 and block 34 during movement of punch members 35 into engagement with rim 2 As the apparatus moves the punch members 35 into the material of rim 2| these punch members 35 cut the slots 24 in the one side of rim 2| or in the material thereof, beginning at approximately the apex at the top of rim 2| and extending inwardly thereof, along the longitudinal portion thereof to be used as the front'of the shelf. During the act of cutting the slots 24 the metal of rim member 2| is pushed or caused to flow outwardly as at 47 away from the. bottoms of punch members 35 into the space provided by the cut-away portion 32 in the die 30 (see Fig. 9). The edge of groove 3| adjacent the cut-away portion 92 being below the opposite edge of groove 3| and below the point at which the metal of rim 2| tends to fiow thereby causes the lower edge of groove 3| to grip the rim member 2| and prevent that portion thereof beingrim member. Other methods of'cutting the slots 24 in rim member 2| may be employed but. the present method is preferable because the fiow of metal to form the extrus'ions 41 as described provides a greater supporting and welding surface area for the crom rods 22 upon or within the rim 2|. After the punching operation has been completed as illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings the rim member 2| is then ready to have the cross wires 22 applied thereto or mounted thereon. The design of the slots 24 provided or cut in rim member 2| may best be seen by reference to Fig. 11 of the drawings.

A cross wire. 22 is placed in each of the horizontally spaced apartslots 24 of rim member 2|. Either end of these cross-rod wires 22 may have been made fast to the rim 2|. However, after the cross wires 22 have'been positioned within slots 24 to form the food supporting surface of the shelf l8, the shelf is then placed between two electrodes 5| and 52 of awelding apparatus so that the one of the electrodes 52 will engage the top ofthe end of cross wire 22 while the other electrode 5| en gages the-lower portion of the rim member 2|, as shown for illustration purposes in Fig. 12 of the drawings.- The heat passing between electrodes 5| and 52 through the end of cross-rod 22 and rim or frame 2| causes the cross-rods and rim 2| to be firmly bonded or fused together. It will be noted that the apex or top portions of cross wires 22 are, when positioned in slots 24, spaced a distance of approximately inch from the apex or top of rim 2|. This spacing is for the purpose of preventing heating of rim 2| only and for insuring that heat will be simultaneously transmitted through the end portions of the cross wires 22 and the rim 2| for causing bonding thereof togather. After the cross wires 22 have been bonded to rim 'gllby the welding operation the shelf is then placed beneath a press (see Fig. 13) and a punchingor pressing tool 53 is caused to strike the end of each of the wires 22 to slightly deform same to cause the distance between the tops of cross wires 22 and the top of rim member 2 to be diminished or eliminated so that the top surfaces of wires 22 will be substantially flush .with or on the same level as the top surface of rim 26.

After the shelf has been constructed by the method above described it may be plated in any suitable and conventional manner with any desired metallic substance such for example, as tin chromium to provide a finish coat over the shelf which will resist or prevent rusting of the metal and which will improve the appearance of the shelf l8. It will be understood-that the plating of shelf l8 will cause all crevices, etc. at the joints in the shelf structure to be filled with the plating material to thus provide smooth surfaces adjacent joints of wires 22 with rim 2i so as to render the shelf easily cleanable.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided an improved shelf for refrigerator cabinets and that we have provided a novel method of making the improved shelf. The improved shelf is of neat appearance since the front edge thereof is smooth and unobstructed by protruding or upstanding ends of cross a lattice-work as is common in present-day shelf structures. The improved shelf inherently conceals the metal which flows from the slots provided in the rim portion 2| since the bosses or extrusions 4? are on the inner surface of rim 2! where they are not seen from the front of the refrigerator cabinet. Our improved shelf has utility in that by eliminating the protruding ends of lattice-work or the ends of cross wires at the top of the front edge thereof any object striking the front edge of the shelf during the act of placing same in the food chamber of the refrigerator cabinet will readily slide over the smooth rounded edge and upon the food supporting surface thereof provided by the cross wires. Our imwires or by portions of proved shelf, by virtue of the method of attach ing the cross wires to the heavy rim member, provides a shelf of great rigidity and eliminates the necessity of providing a centrally-located reinforcing cross piece.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is as follows:

A shelf for a refrigerator cabinet including a bounding rim and a plurality of spaced apart cross members connected to opposite sides of the rim, said rim being solid and forming the sole support of said cross members, at least one of said sides of said solid bounding rim being deformed at a plurality of spaced apart points to provide notches therein, the deformations in said rim being of such character as to extend the notches from the top of said one side of said bounding rim inwardly toward the opposite side thereof and from a point inwardly of the outer edge of said one side of said rimtoward the bottom thereof to form v a continuous end Wall surface and a relatively long continuous bottom wall surface for said notches,

each of said notches receiving and supporting one end of each cross member within a portion of the horizontal plane occupied by said bounding rim, and the bottom wall surface of said notches being spaced a, predetermined distance from the top of said rim to position the top of each cross member at said one side of said rim on substantially the same level with the top of said bounding rim.

SYLVESTER M. SC'HW'ELLER. ERNEST H. SCHILLING. 

